Public Health Wales has produced an information and guidance resource on vaping for secondary-aged learners in Wales. The document provides data and evidence-based information for schools including how they can respond to and help address vaping within their setting through policy, practices, and curriculum content.

Key messages:

• Vaping devices should not be used by children and young people
• It is illegal to sell nicotine-containing vaping devices to anyone under 18 or for adults to buy them on behalf of under-18s. Those selling or suspected of selling either nicotine vapes or tobacco products to under-18s can be reported anonymously to ‘No Ifs. No Butts.’
• There are growing numbers of illegal or illicit vaping devices on sale that don’t meet the stringent quality and safety standards within the UK. These devices can be particularly dangerous as some have been found to contain very high levels of nicotine and dangerous metals like lead. Others are labelled as being nicotine-free when they do contain nicotine. Illegal vapes have been found in schools in the UK
• Vaping is safer than smoking but it is not harmless. The evidence on the long-term health effects of vaping is limited as it has not been around long enough to know the risk of long-term use
• Vaping can lead to dependence on nicotine . Dependence on nicotine can negatively affect mental health and wellbeing and can be disruptive to life and learning
• Adult smokers can reduce the risk of harm from smoking by switching completely to vaping, however vaping is not recommended for non-smokers (and should not be used by children and young people)
• If an adult, child or young person under 18 requires support to quit smoking they should seek advice from Help Me Quit, where they will be guided to the appropriate treatment pathway (age 12+)
• If a person wishes to quit vaping they can also contact the national Help Me Quit helpline on 0800 085 2219 for advice and support. [For Ireland freephone 1800 201 203 or freetext QUIT to 50100.]